Monday 30 September 2013

Cheap Flights to Europe Amid Airfare Low

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The dam wall on cheap fares on the world's longest air routes from Australia to Europe has finally broken after years of stubborn resistance. Illustrating that there are many conflicting dynamics in a competitive market, there have been dozens of airlines pitching for business on these routes for decades without driving down the price. A decade ago, the top-of-the-line brands like Qantas and Singapore Airlines were complaining about how cheap fares were when they were above $2000 return. At one stage, when high-season fares were around $2300 return, there were warnings that lead-in rates would have to rise to nearer $3000 because the route was uneconomic at then-current levels.

Well, the world has changed since the 2007-08 global financial crisis. Since then, the US and European economies have been in or close to recession, which has hit long-haul business travel for six.  With the Cheap Airline revolution proving that the best money is to be made from wall-to-wall budget seating, supplemented with ancillary fees for everything that used to be free, airlines like Qantas have begun to shrink their premium cabins in favour of more premium economy and economy seats.

Two years ago, the queen of the Asian skies, Singapore Airlines (SIA), which had also been knocked sideways by the GFC, shocked the industry by starting its own low-cost long-haul brand, Scoot, after sitting back and watching carriers like AirAsia X and Jetstar hoovering up the demand for no-frills travel.  Last week was a landmark when SIA moved aggressively into the market with what it acknowledged were its first real el cheapo fares in its 2014 Earlybird offerings between Australia and Europe.

Our Earlybird 2014 offer is by far the lowest fares we have offered to date, a spokeswoman for SIA south-west Pacific vice-president Subhas Menon said. Earlybird has long been a cornerstone of our pricing strategy, as it helps ensure we have strong base loads for the year ahead.  This is why we have never hesitated to be bold and grab the market's attention and reinforce our superior product and service offering. Actually the folks at SIA are stretching it with that last sentence. Because of SIA’s service excellence  and, importantly, the consistency of service excellence, where competitors have struggled to make service standards uniform  they have always had the brand strength to park their rates up to $1000 return more than the price leaders on the long haul from Australia to Europe.

Not any more. Super-aggressive discounting from Chinese carriers like China Southern has forced SIA to drop its Earlybird rates to Europe to below $1500 return from Australia for the first time.  China Southern’s rates are starting to look a bit like those of AirAsia X, which grabbed the headlines three years ago with rates from Australia to Europe of less than $1000.

Of course, the AirAsia X option no longer exists because the cheap pricing model of offering fares below cost as a market stimulant doesn’t work unless there is enough demand to fill most of the seats at much higher rates.  China Southern this month dropped its fares for travel from Australia to Amsterdam to around $1287 quoted by some agents from Melbourne and slightly more from Sydney.  But that offer was seasonal, applying only to the low season through the northern winter and into spring, expiring in June. SIA upped the ante by making its Earlybird rates non-seasonal, applying right through until November 2014.  Not unexpectedly, Qantas and its new partner Emirates are more or less matching the SIA rates on key European destinations for advance-purchase buyers travelling in 2014, dropping last year’s lead-in fares by up to $300 return.

Sunday 29 September 2013

Need Cheap Flights For Thanksgiving And Christmas? Here’s When You Should Book

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Passengers walk by a Christmas tree on their way to make a fight a day before the annual Thanksgiving Day holiday at the Salt Lake City International Airport. Do I book now or do I wait? It’s an age-old question that we all ask when planning our Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s trips. But with the end of September fast approaching, experts say you’ll be hard-pressed to find any more cheap flights in about two week’s time.  The best bet for the consumer is to travel as early before the actual holiday or as late as possible afterward, and always leave room for schedule changes, explained Dean Headley, co-author of Wichita State University’s Airline Quality Rating report. During the past several years, the holiday travel period has continued to be a challenging time for travelers, and with industry wide seat capacity reduction, it will remain a stressful travel experience [this year].

Travel search engine cheap-flight-4u.com analyzed hundreds of millions of queries preformed on the site last year and discovered that, on average, the cheapest airfares for holiday travel were found between September and mid-October. Procrastinators who wait until the end of October or later to book are likely to find a 17% increase for Thanksgiving travel, a 51% increase for Christmas travel and a 25% increase for New Year’s Eve travel.

If you miss that mid-October window, we recommend booking as soon as possible, Kayak spokeswoman Jessica Casano-Antonellis said. Domestic fares will rarely decrease beyond October, and international flights will see no decrease in fares.


Tuesday 24 September 2013

CHEAP FLIGHTS TO NEWPORT NEWS

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When looking for plane tickets to Newport News, the ease and convenience of using cheap-flight-4u.com simply can't be beat. With tons of departure points and flights options from the top airline carriers, cheap-flight-4u.com  gives you the widest array of cheap flights to Newport News. Look for Newport News airfare with the assurance that you have the largest online travel agency working for you.

Cheap-flight-4u.com lets you search across the largest number of airlines and Newport News flights, which means that you'll be able to find a great flight deal at the perfect travel date and time. Our simple-to-use booking engine makes looking for terrific bargains easy and hassle-free; just enter your travel dates and departure city, and let cheap-flight-4u.com do the rest! Adjust your travel dates and explore connecting flights to find an even better deal on your Newport News flight!

Browse through dozens of options and rest assured that you're seeing the best price guaranteed! Our friendly customer service representatives are here to serve you 24 hours day to provide assistance and answer any questions that you may have about booking your Newport News trip. There's simply no substitute for great prices suited to your travel needs and backed by excellent customer support.

Combine your Newport News flight with a hotel and/or car rental for a package deal designed to save you even more money! Discover additional savings by booking in advance or find a last minute deal. There are tons of ways to save on your flights to Newport News with cheap-flight-4u.com. Use us as your stop travel destination and have the confidence that you're getting a bargain!

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Monday 23 September 2013

Low-Cost Singapore Airlines Launches Child-Free Quiet Zone on Flights

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Singapore based low-cost long-haul airline Scoot has become the latest carrier to ban children from part of a plane, with passengers able to pay to upgrade to the quiet zone.

The cheap carrier, which flies to Sydney and the Gold Coast from Singapore, has banned under 12s from rows 21 to 25 of its aircraft, theb Daily Telegraph reported.

Passengers can upgrade to the 41-seat Scooting Silence cabin from 18 dollars.

The cabin also has more legroom than the rear section of the plane and a 35 inch seat pitch - four inches more than in economy.

Another budget Asian carrier AirAsia X, which flies to Australia from Malaysia, also banned babies from sections of its planes in February.

Sunday 22 September 2013

Etiquette Expert Advises Against Tipping Flight Attendants

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They serve meals, bring extra blankets, assist with cumbersome bags and sometimes even babysit small children. But do services provided by flight attendants merit tipping? The question is a divisive one.
A recent column on Business Insider posited that due to the many responsibilities juggled by members of the cabin crew, expressing appreciation of flight attendants in the form of a few extra bills is understandable.
"Your flight attendant is busy," wrote Caroline Costello in SmarterTravel. "He's running up and down serving drinks, comforting children, disarming disgruntled passengers. Arguably the fastest and easiest way to communicate some appreciation is to hand him a gratuity on the way off the plane."
But etiquette experts say the practice is inappropriate.
"Flight attendants are not in the group of people that we tip," Lizzie Post, Emily Post's great-great-granddaughter and author on modern etiquette advice, told ABC News. "Even when you're in the process of a transaction, buying beer or wine or alcohol, snacks or headsets, there is no reason to tip. It's not appropriate to the situation."
Airlines contacted did not immediately respond to ABC News' requests for comment on company policies toward tipping. But most job descriptions listed for flight attendants state that the attendants' primary responsibility is to maintain passenger safety, a role not generally tipped in other fields. Flight attendants also earn livable wages. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics listed the median salary of flight attendants in 2013 as $37,740.
Even if a customer feels he or she has received phenomenal service while flying, Post recommends against reaching inside one's wallet.
"Rather than tip them -- and I'm sorry to all of the flight attendants out there who would like to be tipped! -- I think the best thing you could do would be to write a good review: Remember your flight number, take down the name of the flight attendant and write to the airline to let them know they have a great employee," said Post.

Friday 20 September 2013

Centre Mulls Setting up 100 Cheap Airports


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LUCKNOW: The government decided to set up 50 new cheap airports this year and 50 next year, with an aim to give boost to civil aviation sector and increase air connectivity to tier-II and tier-III cities and also able to deliver on timeframe given by Prime Minster, said KN Srivastava, secretary, Union ministry of civil aviation at a conference held in New Delhi.


While inaugurating the ASSOCHAM's 6th international conference on Civil Aviation & Tourism, Srivastava said, "The state-owned airport operator, would set up the cheap airports in 50 cities in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra."

"Civil aviation ministry has called a meeting of ministers and secretaries of states to finalize the policy of regional connectivity. The meeting is scheduled for September 10 in New Delhi," said Srivastava while addressing the media.

Srivastava also said, "Navi Mumbai, Pune, Goa and Patna airports are facing capacity constraints. On the other hand, Chennai do not suffer from any capacity constraint today but in the next 6-7 years and can also face capacity constraints and that is the only reason that the government is considering Sriperumbudur."

In order to stimulate the air connectivity, airlines are expected to add around 370 aircrafts, worth $27.5 billion, to their fleet by the year 2017, said Srivastava. Moreover, it is estimated that commercial fleet size shall reach 1000 from present 400 by 2020.

"We are committed for the development of the sector and have introduced several policies and regulations to encourage private participation and investments in the sector," said Srivastava.

"To spur the growth of international air travel, the government has taken substantial steps to liberalize and grant traffic rights to Indian carriers to fly to several new destinations across the globe. There are 71 foreign passenger airlines operating in India at 25 airports with 1655 flights per week. In addition, in the year 2012, there were 703 tourist charted flights that carried 1.30 lakh passengers," added Srivastava.

He also mentioned that the Centre is planning to invest over $120 billion in the development of airports infrastructure (construction of new airports, expansion and modernization of existing airports) and development of low-cost airports across the country.

"The government has taken significant measures for providing affordable air-connectivity to remote and interior areas of the country- the northeastern region and tier-II and tier-III cities of India and all these measures will go a long way in providing new avenues to the domestic part of the tourism sector," said Srivastava.

Chandresh Kumari Katoch, minister for culture said, "Cultures serve as the foundation on which the building of tourism can be built. But without good communication and connectivity we will not be able to reach global audiences. Once we have the inflow of international tourists, there will automatically be an increase in trade and commerce."

Thursday 19 September 2013

A Critical Battle as Airline Hits Back

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Even Ryanair's critics are united in backing the company's record on safety
The Z Team is the name Michael O'Leary gives to his trusted lieutenants, Ryanair's most senior executives. In the course of three years' research for the book Michael O'Leary: A Life in Full  written by the late Alan Ruddock  journalist Laura Noonan came across The Z Team time and again.

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary also in this section.  Deferring in order to repeat Leaving not looked upon favourably.  Diabetes patients put at risk by faulty testing kits.  Exam Diary: How I ended 14 years of school with a mouse click,  5 Signs of Alzheimer's & Flight Booking.  Our Best Fares for Your Holidays: Hurry, Check Our Special Offers! http://www.cheap-flight-4u.com

"There is no shortage of Z meetings," she says, "and while O'Leary will argue over the merits of spending money on a paper clip, he never quibbles when someone says money needs to be spent on anything to do with safety.

"It is a subject he takes with the utmost seriousness and their record is unblemished."

The Z Team was likely to have been busy on Tuesday morning. The night before, Channel 4 questioned Ryanair's commitment to safety. A Dispatches documentary made serious allegations about the airline's fuel usage policy, which it suggested could put passengers' lives at risk.

And the programme  Ryanair: Secrets from the Cockpit  claimed a significant proportion of the airline's pilots felt the safety policy was "non-transparent" and were uncomfortable raising safety issues.

Ryanair reacted swiftly. John Goss, the veteran Ryanair pilot who was interviewed by Dispatches, was dismissed "with immediate effect" on Wednesday.

And O'Leary said he would sue Channel 4 for its "false and defamatory claims" which "wrongly impugn and smear Ryanair's outstanding 29-year safety record based on nothing more than anonymous hearsay".

Noonan is not surprised that O'Leary has taken such action. "Ryanair say safety is their number one priority and it has to be because if it experiences an air disaster, it is likely to have greater difficulty recovering from it than the likes of Aer Lingus would.

Tuesday 17 September 2013

Russia's Aeroflot to Launch Cheap Airline Amid Effort to Revamp Brand

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Russian state carrier to invest £65m in Ryanair-style subsidiary as it tries to shake off Soviet-era image

Russia's State Airline, Aeroflot, will invest £65m in creating its own budget carrier to begin flying in March, Russian media reported.

But while cheap carriers are infamous for their flight delays, it's hard to imagine how Aeroflot's delays could get any worse, as the airline's existing customer service, like its hammer-and-sickle logo, often seems to be a relic of Soviet times.

Aeroflot, once the Soviet national airline and still the largest carrier in Russia, will spend the money over the next two years on establishing a subsidiary company on the model of Ryanair and Jetstar, according to a presentation given to Aeroflot's board of directors last Thursday and reported on Monday. Although the airline will start with domestic flights, it may eventually include international routes to popular destinations such as Barcelona, Istanbul, Kiev and Yerevan.

The move comes as Aeroflot tries to revamp its image both at home and abroad. This month the airline became Manchester United's first Russian sponsor.

"This means that with the help of 660 million fans we are now going to promote Russia and Aeroflot on the European market," Aeroflot's general director, Vitaly Savelyev, told the television channel Rossiya 24.

Meanwhile, in Russia, a company owned by the TV presenter and socialite Tina Kandelaki has won a 27.5m-ruble (£550m) contract to gain Aeroflot 190,000 followers on social networks in the course of a year, state media reported on Monday.

Aeroflot celebrated its 90th anniversary in March. In Soviet times, the ubiquitous advertising tagline "Fly Aeroflot" was often the subject of jokes, since there weren't any other carriers. The phrase "Aeroflot chicken," a derogatory reference to the airline's unappetising fare, also became a meme.

Although service has improved since the Soviet era, Aeroflot still draws complaints. Most recently, Dmitry Muratov, the editor of the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, wrote a column in June about the overnight delay of an Aeroflot flight to the Crimea.

Monday 16 September 2013

6 Investigates Allegiant Air's Low-Cost, Fee-Heavy Flights

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TULSA, Oklahoma - Allegiant Air is a small airline with big profits. In fact, it's continued to be one of the most profitable airlines in the industry, keeping itself in the black while other airlines struggled.
That's because of Allegiant's fee-heavy business model.

The only way to fly Allegiant without paying a fee is to buy your ticket in advance at the airport and pay cash, then carry on one personal item, no larger than a purse or a briefcase.

Allegiant Airlines has come to Tulsa, hoping to lure travelers to sunny Orlando, Florida.

But buyer beware: Allegiant is a low-cost airline, offering the round trip flights for less than $200, but it tacks on fees for everything.

According to FrequentFlier.com, Allegiant is the second worst airline for fees. The list of add-ons is lengthy.

8/20/2013 Related Story: Allegiant Airlines Announces Flights Between Tulsa and Orlando

How do you want to book your trip? By phone? That'll be $15 per person, per segment. So $30 a person roundtrip.

Booking online? Ten dollars per person each way.

Checking a bag? If you reserve a spot for your bag in advance, you'll pay $20 each way.

But if you wait until you get to the airport to check your bag, you could pay up to $75 each way. That's $150 roundtrip for each checked bag.

And if your bag is more than 40 pounds, tack on another 50 to 75 bucks, again per bag, each way.

Carry-ons will cost you, too--$13 each, each way if you book them in advance, up to $75 each, if you do it at the airport. Oh, and if you want to pick your seat, you'll have to shell out more--up to 75 dollars each time for that.

Even snacks and drinks will cost you, from a couple bucks to $13.

A spokesman for the airline, based out of Nevada, confirms those nickels and dimes make Allegiant profitable, but it also gives its passengers money-saving options.

"We don't charge a high base rate for your airfare, so a lot of our revenue is generated by our ancillary fees," the spokesman said.

But some customers aren't buying it.

The Better Business Bureau, where Allegiant is headquartered, has fielded 489 complaints about the company in the last three years.

A spokesperson says, while each complaint was addressed by the airline, only 89 of them were considered resolved by the consumer.

We should note, Allegiant is not alone in it's fee-heavy structure. Many airlines have embraced it as a way to survive.

Sunday 15 September 2013

Turkey's Leading Cheap Airline Increases Traffic Over 22%

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LONDON, England  During the first half of 2013, Pegasus increased its operational EBITDAR from 57.0 million TL to 200.1 million TL while increasing the EBITDAR margin by 12.6 bps to 20.4%.

Turkey's leading cheap carrier Pegasus Airlines increased traffic volume by 22.6% for the first six months of 2013 compared to the same period last year (source: Public Disclosure Platform, KAP). This year the company carried a total of 7.55 million guests on both its domestic and international routes, compared to last year's 6.16 million, and grew 1.3 times faster than the domestic passenger market and 1.8 times faster than the international market.

Pegasus Airlines ended the first six months of 2013 with a net profit of 44.1 million TL, an improvement of 114.3 million TL when compared to the same period in 2012, and posted a net profit margin of 4.5%.

Improvement on Load Factors, Efficiency and CASK
During the first six months of 2013, Pegasus offered 15 new domestic and international routes and increased the frequency of flights on its existing routes. Load factor increased from 77.0% to 79.3%. Passengers per cycle increased from 148 to 153 on domestic flights and from 134 to 139 on international flights.

A combination of sales campaigns and effective income management during the first half of 2013, enabled Pegasus to decrease its cost per available seat kilometer (CASK) from 10.48 Kurus (4.49%) to 9.88 Kurus (4.15%).  During this period Pegasus' ancillary revenue increased by 15%, to 19TL (7.99) per pax from 16.5TL (7.07).

Pegasus continued to utilize its fleet more effectively and efficiently in the first half of 2013, with aircraft utilization increasing from 11.1 to 12.1 block hours.  Source: http://www.cheap-flight-4u.com

Thursday 12 September 2013

Cheap Flights Tunes In To Television's Top Settings

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TORONTO--You can tell that summer's coming to an end when almost every other commercial on television is about the premiere dates of the new fall TV line-up. What better way to ease into the chill of autumn than cozied up in front of the TV watching our favourite shows? Have you ever wondered where all the TV magic is made? While many assume Hollywood or somewhere in the US, nowadays, settings and filming locations for TV shows are spread across the globe. So, the travel experts at Cheap flights, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, went on a discovery journey and compiled their Top 10 Trips for TV Lovers where you can see firsthand the settings of some of the small screen's most memorable series, current and past.

While many of our choices for TV spots (five to be exact) are, in fact, US destinations, below are the locales to make the list that show that all the world has become a stage for television shows (and fans):
Newbury, United Kingdom - "Downton Abbey" diehards can get a taste of the show's Edwardian era setting at the real Downton Abbey -- Highclere Castle -- a Victorian castle in England situated on 1,000 acres of parkland. The international hit, which chronicles the Crawley family and their servants starting in pre-World War I times, is shot on location at Highclere Castle and has generated international curiosity about the building, which serves as the Crawley family home on the show. Visitors can go inside the castle, explore the gardens on the property, take a woodland walk or sip coffee and tea in the tearooms. The area of Newbury, where Highclere Castle is located, offers plenty to see and do including historic homes, a bustling theatre scene, horse racing and nature reserves. Keep in mind the castle is only open to the public during certain times and you need a ticket to enter, so check their website for availability and pricing before trekking out to Newbury.

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Dubrovnik, Croatia - Creating the mythical continents of Westeros and Essos in "Game of Thrones" is, apparently, no small task. After all, filming locations are everywhere from Iceland to Northern Ireland, and Morocco to Malta. But a trip to Croatia will send you straight to the earthly versions of some of the show's key locations. As of this summer, visitors to Dubrovnik can take a "Game of Thrones" walking tour through the historic city, led by a Dubrovnik local, who is also a huge fan of the show and even a former "Game of Thrones" extra. Tourists will be guided through filming locations for scenes like King Joffrey's name day tournament, the Battle of Blackwater and the King's Landing riot. After trekking through the real locations of these on-screen sites in Dubrovnik, consider knocking a few other "Game of Thrones" destinations off your list; this fantasy series, the brainchild of George R. R. Martin, showcases some of the most stunning destinations around the world.

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Copenhagen, Denmark - Danish TV series "The Killing" follows detective Sarah Lund as she traverses Copenhagen trying to solve a murder case involving a high school student. One third of Denmark's population reportedly watches the show, which has cast a spotlight on Danish culture and garnered viewers in 17 countries. Fans of "The Killing" can check out sites used in the show such as the building housing Sarah Lund's apartment, The Danish Parliament and Pentecost Woods (depicted as a crime scene in the series). You can even head to Gudrun & Gudrun to buy the star-patterned wool sweater made popular when Sarah Lund wore it on the show. In addition, successful Danish-Swedish crime show "The Bridge" revolves around a dead body found under the Øresund Bridge, which connects Denmark and Sweden and is the longest bridge in Europe. The show is filmed on location in Copenhagen and Malmö, and features shots of the 10-mile-long bridge. Peter and Ping Literary Walks offers guided tours of Copenhagen filming locations from "The Killing" and "The Bridge".

Toronto, Ontario, Canada - Toronto acts as the backdrop for a rather hefty (and growing) load of TV shows; episodes from more than 100 series were completed in Toronto in 2012 according to the city. Often dubbed Hollywood North, Toronto even serves as the filming location for some TV shows that are set in American cities. Large stages with unobstructed skyline views have come to the outskirts of the city and convinced shows like "Nikita", "Covert Affairs" and "Suits" (from American networks) to put down roots in Toronto. Police drama "Rookie Blue", which chronicles the lives of cops who recently graduated from the police academy, is set in Toronto. The show's characters reference some of the city's iconic streets such as King Street and Yonge Street, and focus on the area covered by Toronto Police's 51 Division (known as the 15 Division on the show).

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A world tour - For the ambitious TV traveller, why not pretend you're "The Bachelor" or a contestant on "The Amazing Race" and set out for an around-the-world tour? Loyal fans of these reality TV series are treated to the stunning vistas and cultural details of exotic locales around the world -- a weekly wanderlust-inducing experience for viewers. "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" stars have travelled to countless destinations in their quest for true love, including Anguilla, St. Lucia, Tahiti, South Africa, Panama, Croatia, Belize, New Zealand, Bora Bora, Prague and Thailand. "Amazing Race" contestants have navigated language barriers, tackled tough challenges tied to local cultures, and worked against the clock to destination hop around the world. Destinations in Alaska, Namibia, Amsterdam, Scotland, New Zealand, China and Italy are just a few of the stops these on-screen world travellers have made. And for the true die-hard fans in Canada, you can audition for The Bachelor Canada or The Amazing Race Canada, and get an authentic reality show travel experience.

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Rounding out our list are five US locations that are already, or are becoming, hot tourist destinations for TV fans: New York, New York  ("Mad Men", "Girls", "Seinfeld", "Sex and the City" and more); Albuquerque, New Mexico ("Breaking Bad"); New England ("Family Guy", "Cheers", "Boston Legal", "Ally McBeal", "Wings"); Hawaii ("Hawaii Five-O", "Lost"); and Pacific Northwest ("Grey's Anatomy", "Portlandia").
About Cheapflights.ca, part of the Momondo Group
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Momondo Group is an online travel media and technology company that is driven by the belief that an open world is a better world. The group now serves travel search and inspiration to over 13 million visitors a month -- plus 6 million travel newsletter subscribers -- via its Cheapflights (http://www.cheap-flight-4u.com) brands.  Skygate began the sourcing of complex air-travel data in 1992, while Cheapflights pioneered the online comparison of flight deals for users in 1996 and momondo launched meta-search in the Nordic countries in 2006.

The Group has offices in London, Copenhagen, Boston and Toronto, with a consumer base across more than 20 core international markets but users all over the world.

Tuesday 10 September 2013

Jet Airways May Shift Away from Cheap Model

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Subsidiary Jet Konnect may be re-positioned as a full-service airline as part of alignment with Etihad Airways

New Delhi: Jet Airways (India) Ltd, which remodeled subsidiary JetKonnect as a budget airline, may re-position it again as a full-service airline as part of its alignment with Etihad Airways PJSC.
The re-modelling, offering free meals, better frequent flier miles and business class seats, may mean that Naresh Goyal-promoted Jet Airways could switch from its 2008 shift of mirroring a low-fare airline like IndiGo to becoming a full-service network carrier. IndiGo charges for meals, has no business class seats and does not reward passengers for loyalty with frequent flier programs.
The plan is to start giving free meals to passengers like it was earlier on JetKonnect and bring the airline at par with Jet Airways in all respects, said a person familiar with the matter who declined to be named, This will be one of the many steps towards aligning with Etihad.
JetKonnect may also offer better reward points to customers like parent Jet Airways in its frequent fliers program. All JetKonnect flights are expected to have eight business class seats, while the rest will be economy, this person said.
The airline was discussing the plan to offer free food internally and may execute it soon, said a second person, who too declined to be named.
An email sent on Friday to Jet Airways spokeswoman remain unanswered.
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad is a full-service airline, which means it provides free meals, lounge access, in-flight entertainment, frequent flier rewards within the airfare it charges for business or economy seats.
Jet Airways provides similar features on its international service and most domestic services, but under strain from rivals, it had decided to turn its subsidiary Jet Konnect into a dedicated low-cost airline in 2008 with all-economy seats and food sold on board. Jet Konnect is the re-branded version of Air Sahara the airline firm Jet bought in 2007.
Jet is now in the process of selling a 24% stake to Etihad and is waiting for a final clearance from the cabinet committee on economic affairs after getting a conditional nod from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in July.
After this, it plans to connect 23 cities to Abu Dhabi from where they can fly further to Europe, North America or other continents, mostly on Etihad. This means, for instance, that a Lucknow-Abu Dhabi-New York trip has to have the same service standards throughout Lucknow-Abu Dhabi cannot be low cost and Abu Dhabi-New York full service.
The move to launch JetKonnect led to brand confusion, with passengers unclear about whether they would get a Jet Airways service or a JetKonnect one, analysts said.
The Jet Airways story is very confused. There’s Jet Airways and Jet Konnect and there was JetLite, said Shakti Lumba, an aviation consultant formerly working with Air India and IndiGo. Until it reorganizes, I see little benefit from the oxygen Etihad is supplying.
The JetLite brand was converted into JetKonnect in 2012. Together they now operate over 580 flights daily with 111 aircraft to 76 cities.
A foreign airline executive said it was never a good idea for Jet to have diluted its product. It is never a good strategy to turn an existing full-service airline into an LCC overnight. Just changing colours on the aircraft, and a nice new logo and stopping food service is taking a very shallow, very naive approach to the whole LCC (low cost carrier) thing. It confuses and demoralizes the company staff. It is like white washing a building without fixing the cracks in it. Over time, the paint starts to wear off and you can see the cracks reappear, this executive said, asking not to be identified.
Jet Airways hasn't been profitable in recent years. In the June quarter, Jet Airways posted a loss of Rs.355 crore.
A person with knowledge of the airline said serving free meals will mean at least Rs.100-200 as an extra cost per passenger, which in turn means Rs.50-60 crore in additional cost a year. The success of the move will then depend on whether Jet is also able to raise fares. This person also declined to be named.
The foreign airline executive quoted above said Jet should focus its energies on being a network carrier and leave the low-cost airlines like IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir to their respective models.
Jet was built as a great product carrier silver cutlery, huge cabin costs, over staffing etc. Its response to low-cost carriers’ evolution was to repaint old Air Sahara aircraft, remove food and drop fares and was at best a jugged (make do) sort of thing, a quick fix, he said. More needs to be done. For instance, Jet must start to build a true domestic hub at Mumbai (already happening to some extent) and perhaps one at Hyderabad that offers the space for a hub to be built. It should remain true to itself as a network carrier by differentiating. Let LCCs do what they do best.

Monday 9 September 2013

New Cheap Airline Launches in South Africa

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Safair set to spread wings even further through launch of Fly Safair
Safair, a trusted and respected name in the airline industry, has been granted approval by the South Africa’s Air Service Licensing Council to launch their own domestic scheduled operation, Fly Safair.  Offering up to ten daily flights between Johannesburg and Cape Town, Fly Safair will be utilizing two Boeing 737-400 aircraft to service the route. The cheap carrier is set to officially launch tickets sales in September and be fully operational by the last quarter of 2013.  “We are extremely excited about this new chapter in Safair’s history and we look forward to further being of service to South Africa’s flying public,” says Dave Andrew, CEO of Safair.  “Having close to 50 years of aviation experience, along with our proven track record of excellence within the aviation industry, the launch of Fly Safair represents a natural evolution of our business.”

Safair is considered to be one of Africa's foremost leading aviation service providers with an established history of enabling airlines and operators to successfully navigate their business in an ever-changing business climate.  The company’s dedication to excellence has been fostered by their years of expertise and experience in providing aircraft leasing, maintenance, special operations, chartering and training services. Safair has a 75% South African shareholding, with the other 25% owned by the Irish ASL Aviation Group.

Since the early eighties, Safair has also been working with international aid partners such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, World Food Program and the United Nations, providing flights and carrying goods and supplies into the rest of Africa, and in fact the world, as part of their commitment to corporate social investment.

Few people realize just how involved Safair has been in the South African aviation sector over the last few years, having served as a commercial support partner for most other local airlines.  This involves Safair being contracted to operate the other airlines’ schedules whenever they have an aircraft out of service due to technical reasons or crew shortages. In these instances, Safair provides their own unbranded aircraft and crew, and operates under the company name of the airline it is assisting.

Due to this support service, Safair can already boast a history of flying a large number of the South African general public.  Andrew concludes that Fly Safair has the necessary experience, expertise and record of excellence needed to provide world-class and industry leading services to the low cost airline industry in South Africa.

 “Although many people have commented that the airline industry is an unfavorable environment for new entrants at the moment, we would like to remind the public that we have been flying commercially for almost half a century already and we have no doubt that Fly Safair will only serve to further grow the domestic market.  Owing to our reputation of success, we assert that our new carrier will operate proficiently, and offer the highest standards of excellence and service to our customers – all at a price that they can afford. We look forward to welcoming you on board again.”

Friday 6 September 2013

Cheap Flights to be Opened in Ukraine

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Five new Cheap Flights will be opened this fall to the UK, Germany, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Vilkul announced.
"There are 9 cheap airlines in Ukraine, which account for about 20 percent of aviation operations. Since the beginning of this year, the air carriers have launched 7 new flights to Georgia, Germany, Italy, Spain, Norway, and Latvia. In autumn 5 new flights will be opened," Vilkul said. He noted that the government promotes the work of cheap airlines that provide the public with the ability to fly at low prices.

Skyscanner is simple and fast. And it’s free to use! Compare Cheap Flights then book your airline tickets to Ukraine directly by clicking through to agency and airline sites.If your travel dates are flexible we can show you the cheapest days in the month to fly. And if you’re in the mood for adventure you can search on Skyscanner from your chosen departure airport to everywhere. So the only question left is... where to now?

Thursday 5 September 2013

Cheap Flights Site Skyscanner to Recruit 250 New Staff

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Travel website http://www.cheap-flight-4u.com , based in Edinburgh, to fund doubling of workforce through profits, with 2012 turnover at £33.5m

Skyscanner is re-investing its profit in doubling its workforce. Photograph: Luke Macgregor/REUTERS
Skyscanner, the online flight search service, is to double its workforce to 500 in the next year.

The Edinburgh-based site is to fund the expansion through cash flow and operating profits, according to the Financial Times.

Skyscanner, which takes a cut on each booking or a commission on each click through to an airline website http://www.cheap-flight-4u.com which converts into a sale, turned over £33.5m in 2012.

Founder Gareth Williams told the Guardian last year that the site would expand tenfold in the next three or four years.

Williams told the FT that the site was already bigger than rival Kayak outside the US "and not far behind them globally".

More than half of the new jobs are expected to be in Scotland.

 Watch our video interview with rival travel startup GoEuro, which compares flights with coach and train connections across Europe. 

Tuesday 3 September 2013

Russia's Aeroflot to Launch Cheap Airline Amid Effort to Revamp Brand

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Russia's state airline, Aeroflot, will invest £65m in creating its own budget carrier to begin flying in March, Russian media reported. But while low-cost carriers are infamous for their flight delays, it's hard to imagine how Aeroflot's delays could get any worse, as the airline's existing customer service, like its hammer-and-sickle logo, often seems to be a relic of Soviet times. Aeroflot, once the Soviet national airline and still the largest carrier in Russia, will spend the money over the next two years on establishing a subsidiary company on the model of Ryanair and Jetstar, according to a presentation given to Aeroflot's board of directors last Thursday and reported on Monday. Although the airline will start with domestic flights, it may eventually include international routes to popular destinations such as Barcelona, Istanbul, Kiev and Yerevan.

The move comes as Aeroflot tries to revamp its image both at home and abroad. This month the airline became Manchester United's first Russian sponsor. "This means that with the help of 660 million fans we are now going to promote Russia and Aeroflot on the European market," Aeroflot's general director, Vitaly Savelyev, told the television channel Rossiya 24.

Meanwhile, in Russia, a company owned by the TV presenter and socialite Tina Kandelaki has won a 27.5m-ruble (£550m) contract to gain Aeroflot 190,000 followers on social networks in the course of a year, state media reported on Monday.

Aeroflot celebrated its 90th anniversary in March. In Soviet times, the ubiquitous advertising tagline "Fly Aeroflot" was often the subject of jokes, since there weren't any other carriers. The phrase "Aeroflot chicken," a derogatory reference to the airline's unappetising fare, also became a meme.

Although service has improved since the Soviet era, Aeroflot still draws complaints. Most recently, Dmitry Muratov, the editor of the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, wrote a column in June about the overnight delay of an Aeroflot flight to the Crimea. Visit our website http://www.cheap-flight-4u.com

Monday 2 September 2013

Cheap Flight Booking Hacks

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With an abundance of online booking sites, discount airliners, and social media promotions, booking a Cheap Flight has never been easier. And given the current budget squeeze many people are experiencing, booking a cheap flight has never been more important. Finding a flight that matches your ideal itinerary while staying within a tight budget can seem like a daunting task. But with enough planning time, the right set of tools, and due diligence you could be on your way to a vacation that would make the Travelocity gnome jealous.

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Timing is everything,  Booking a flight is almost as fine a balance as cooking a perfectly medium-rare steak. If you start searching too early, you miss out on sales that airlines offer every so often. If you wait till the last moment, you are joined by a class of business travelers who have no problem letting their company pay for the astronomical fares that airlines offer for last minute flights. A calendar with minimal restrictions is important when the difference between leaving on a Sunday or Monday can be a few hundred dollars.

Airlines depend on cycles of supply and demand as much as any other product on the market. Book too early and your run the risk of a higher fare, book too late and you will inevitably end up with an inflated fare price targeted to business travelers. The optimal time for fare searching is 45-60 days before travel.

Remember to stay flexible. Going into the booking search with a set idea of where and when you are traveling will limit your options for a cheap flight. Kayak, Priceline and the like allow you to find “nearby” airports, while broader tools like Skyscanner let you input a departure or destination airport, and then look for flights to or from “everywhere,” sorting by price for the best deal.Visit our website http://www.cheap-flight-4u.com